This exhibition explores the many celestial realms represented in Tibetan Buddhist painting and sculpture through exquisite examples from the twelfth to nineteenth centuries. The exhibition will be presided over by a monumental gilt bronze sculpture of the historical Buddha, a fully realized and enlightened being who occupies the highest level of existence. The Buddhas life story will be recounted in painting in a masterful thangka from the twelfth century that details his progression from a naïve young prince to an enlightened being. Other objects, including rare mandalas dating back to the fourteenth century, shed light on the cosmology and religious practices of traditional Tibetan Buddhism.

Organized by Senior Curator for Asian Art Julia M White. All works are on extended loan to BAMPFA from a private collection.